


To Overcome Monsters, We Must Discard Our Humanity

by Gothythekiller



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arrancar Kurosaki Ichigo, Dark Kurosaki Ichigo, Gen, Kinda, Light Angst, OOC everyone, Soul Fusion, Supportive Friends and Family, poorly written fight scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-25 05:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30084246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothythekiller/pseuds/Gothythekiller
Summary: To someone like Ichigo, losing his ability to fight back, to protect those he cares for, is a fate worse then death. So, when he wakes up one night, his power depleting before it can be replenished naturally, he makes a desperate decision, one that leads to his fate once more changing, though this time it might be for the worst. Then again, it depended on which side one stood on.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. The Beginnings of Despair

**Author's Note:**

> This story is very OOC, and it has many differing points from canon, which will be explained at some point. Fair warning, I'm trash at writing people with accurate personalities, and my writing style is still iffy, but I had this idea for so long I felt I had no choice but to write it out. I hope you enjoy!

It was a cold night, but that didn't keep the covered figure from sweating. Said person's breathing was more akin to the labored pants of a wounded animal forced into a corner. They twitched every so often during their slumber, a hand grasping at nothing, or orange brows furrowing. They let out a slight whimper, which teetered off into a keen, quiet but noticeable. Across the plain room, inside a plain closet, a petite woman stirred slightly at the sound. Once again focusing on the humanoid shape under cotton sheets, their breathing was harsher now, and even though they were resting, their eyes moved frantically beneath closed eyelids. Their throat was spasming around nothing, as if they couldn't reach the air that surrounded them. Suddenly, they sat up with a loud gasp, brown eyes roving around the room for some hidden enemy, though tense shoulders didn't relax at not finding anything. Bright orange hair seemed to stick up like the fur on a cat's back as he shivered, chill air meeting moist skin. He closed his eyes once more, digging deeply for the power inside of him. His eyes snapped back open, and he fell out of his bed, getting to his feet quickly, terror coursing through his veins. _"I can't feel it! Why can't I feel it?!"_ All of the noise seemed to wake his roommate, the girl in his closet from before. The sliding door opened, and from the darkness purple eyes could be seen, slightly bloodshot. "What is going on Ichigo?! It's 3 am!" She whisper-shouted, face contorted in rage. He turned to face her, and her expression faltered when she saw the desperate fear marring his usually brave face. He swallowed thickly, and it took him a few moments to properly formulate words. "It's my reiatsu! It's-I can't feel it!" At this his companion frowned, because while his reiatsu was a bit lower than its usual (and by that she meant overwhelming) amount, he should still be able to feel it. But then it struck her; he probably didn't know it could go below what he was used to (she never really got around to explaining how Shinigami work to him), and as such was worried over nothing. She sighed and got out of her makeshift room, standing on her tippy toes to pat his shoulder comfortingly. "Calm down Ichigo. Your reiatsu is still there, you just have to dig deeper than you normally would. This is a normal thing, for it to fluctuate from time to time. Come morning, I'm sure it'll be back to normal." With her piece said, she returned to her resting place, shutting the door behind her. The teen stared at his closet for a moment. _"But I've been losing my power for a while... Is that normal, Rukia?"_ He thought to himself, returning to his bed and laying back down. He closed his eyes, thinking back on Kisuke and Shinji's training on how to enter his Inner World, allowing himself to fall back into unconsciousness.

When he opened his eyes once more, he was sitting on one of many sideways skyscrapers, a light drizzle making the air damp. To his right, standing on a pole, was the Old Man, who wore no expression on his face. To his left, pacing the 'ground' beneath him was Shiro, who was muttering angrily under his breath. _**"Hello Ichigo. I can already guess why you came to us for assistance."**_ At the mention of the carrot top, Shiro turned around quickly, golden eyes turning their glare onto the teen. **"What the Hell's with all the rain King?! I get it, our power's decreasin, but calm yer ass down! We gotta solution to this."** Brown eyes widened. "Really? I can fix this?" He looked hopeful, but then it made way for confusion. "Wait a second. How did this happen anyway? I mean, Rukia said fluctuation was normal, but this goes way beyond that." His inner Hollow laughed. **"You bet it does. This ain't yer fault King."**. His other spirit nodded. _**"That is correct. The fault lies with the Shinigami."**_ Orange brows furrowed, his scowl becoming more pronounced. "What do you mean? How can they do anything about my level of power? And why would they anyway?" The two spirits had a small staring match, the cloaked man looking back to his wielder first. _**"The fault lies with them because of the badge they gave you."**_ Said object appeared in the air, made out of reishi. _**"It is not only a means to listen in on you, but also to keep some of your power sealed so as not to affect the World of the Living. However, it appears that it is continuously taking more."**_ The doppelganger began to cackle, golden eyes filled with a self deprecating mirth. **"Sorry King, but I think that might be my fault. When I took control to fight the flower guy, he obviously saw my mask, and from there word spread about me. If I knew they would pull this crap, I woulda stayed put."** The Hollow looked away to hide how guilty he felt. Of course, Ichigo wouldn't let him wallow for long. "I don't blame you Shiro. You saved me from death. Plus, it's not like you thought Byakuya would talk." _"I didn't think he would either."_ "But anyway, what am I supposed to do with it? Wouldn't it be suspicious if I threw it away?" The Old Man nodded. _**"It would be highly suspicious if you were to do so. Because of this, you have to let a Hollow destroy it. Not your Hollow, but one you would fight under normal circumstances. That way, you have a reason to go to Urahara to get a replacement that won't sap your energy."**_ The teen looked down at his combat pass, before looking up sharply. "Why didn't you two tell me earlier?" **"Because we didn't wanna worry ya King. Yer power's been decreasing in small amounts up until now; them Shinigami were probably testin the waters up til now. We had no clue they would pull this, cause if we did, we woulda done somethin about it sooner."** He hummed in understanding, still looking at the pass. "One last question. How do I get the power they stole back?" His Hollow grinned, and when the Old Man sighed heavily, he began to cackle once more. **"Well King, the only way fer someone like you ta gain yer reiatsu back, as well as gain more, is to devour other Hollows, Shinigami, and humans with high amounts of reiatsu!"**

Ignoring the horrified look shot in his direction, the albino continued to speak. **"Of course, with yer stupid 'morals', humans are off the table, along with Shinigami. Shame, I heard they taste pretty good. Oh well, I guess Hollows can't be that bad tastin. Plus, we may even get a chance to evolve. Now wouldn't that be somethin..."** His ramblings soon became mutters, not that it did anything to soothe the teen; if anything, it made him much more tense. "Is that true Old Man? Do I have to... do that?" He gave a solemn nod. _**"Unfortunately so. You are a unique mixed breed, as we have made you aware of. Quincy do not have a way of regaining power, so if they lose it, that's it, excluding a few special situations which I refuse to put you through. Shinigami regain power through fighting in reishi rich environments, which we do not have access to. Hollows gain strength through eating, as you already know."**_ The teen seemed to sulk at the idea of eating a living thing. _"How would I eat a Hollow anyway? Those things are massive, even if they have very little reiatsu... Why does this crap always happen to me?"_ As if sensing his inner turmoil (which he probably could, because _rain_ ) Shiro began to explain. **"It ain't that bad King. All ya gotta do is summon yer mask, and I'll do all the eatin, at least til ya feel comfortable enough ta do it yerself. As much as I would like ta do so, ya gotta do yer own dirty work sometimes."** The teen looked away, ashamed by his hesitance. _"Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die."_ He recalled those words, spoken to him so long ago, and his face set in a mask of determination. He turned to face his spirits, his resolve unwavering. "If this is what I have to do, then so be it. I trust you two to steer me in the right direction." The trust he had for the pair touched them deeply, though they didn't let it show on their faces. They truly couldn't have asked for a better wielder than Ichigo. He had resolve, and determination, and the power to back up most of his claims. Truly, he was a wonderful person to stand beside.

When he left his Inner World, the two decided to discuss something that had weighed on them since the fight with Ulquiorra and Yammy. **"Should we tell em about the Arrancar tailing us? I mean, he helped us keep King from fallin apart, and I appreciate that, but he's likely reportin on us ta Aizen. Who knows what the megalomaniac might do if he finds out King's weak."** His Quincy counterpart was silent, staring off into the distance, before he finally responded. _**"I believe that this Hollow has no ill will towards Ichigo. I have no clue what his intentions are, but I am certain that Ichigo intrigues him, at least enough to keep him safe. If he is reporting this back to Aizen, it may play to our favor."**_ Shiro was still confused, so the Old Man kept talking. _**"What I mean is, Seireitei obviously had ill intentions towards Ichigo. Aizen, however, seems intent on keeping Ichigo alive, most likely as an enemy, but also as a potential ally. If we can get into his good graces, we may be able to save Ichigo from experiencing actual warfare."**_ The albino looked unimpressed. **"So, we're gonna lie ta him again? I know that we have a good reason fer it, but if King finds out, he'll be heartbroken. I mean, he barely got over us lyin about who we were; this is way worse than that."** He may be a Hollow, but he still cares about the teen, as much as he hates admitting it, and he knew that this was a whole new low, and if they were found out, they would never be forgiven. However, the Quincy's complete faith in his own plan helped settle his doubts. _**"It is a risk we are going to have to take to protect Ichigo. This will hopefully be the last lie we have to speak. Trust my judgement, and we will survive."**_ After that, there were no words spoken, only the silence of the slowly easing rain.


	2. An Infant's First Meal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of on the weird side. His power is like during the episodes before the Fullbringer arc, like they're weaker and slightly out of wack. Also, Ichi eats a Hollow, though I have yet to decide how that works. I'm sorry, but this was the best I could do. I'll try to improve my skills as this story continues.

It had been two weeks since his talk with his sword spirits, and he had yet to find a Hollow strong enough to break his badge. In fact, it seemed as if the creatures had taken a break from wrecking havoc in Karakura, and under normal circumstances, he would've been glad for such a vacation. However, this Hollow was stronger than the ones that normally appeared, and was about as strong as Grand Fisher was. Considering his depleting amounts of reiatsu, he could hardly keep himself in bankai, and Chad and Uryu had already been taken down. He cursed under his breath as he dodged a swipe of sharp claws aimed at his flank; his two friends were unprepared for this fight, having been woken up minutes before, and their reactions were too slow to comprehend its speed. It lashed out with a kick, one that grazed his left hip, where his pass was, and when he looked down, it had a few more cracks than before. That was a good sign. It meant tonight he would be rid of the cursed thing. Ichigo released a nameless Getsuga, risking a look at his friends to gauge whether or not their wounds were critical, and when he saw they were not, he refocused back on the fight. It took him a second too long, for as soon as he turned around, he was sent flying from a powerful punch that shattered his badge (and maybe his hip bone, he couldn't be too sure). As soon as the pieces crumbled to the ground, he felt himself being pushed back, a sign of Shiro taking over his body. He sat in the darkness that was his subconscious (only when the Hollow took over, for soon reason), trying to ignore the throbbing ilium. He knew it would take a while for the bone to mend itself, what with his reiatsu in such low amounts, and he was prepared to sit in the emptiness, when out of nowhere a large of amount of energy flowed through his body, mending his bones in an instant, and filling him with a feeling of utter euphoria. At least, until he realized what had happened. He immediately took back the reigns, his Hollow not complaining for once. He took in his surroundings, finding the area empty save for him and his friends. No sign that a Hollow had ever been there. He swallowed thickly before sighing and going out of bankai. He looked down at his hands, and saw they were covered in reishi dust, likely from the Hollow's mask (he'd broken one's mask with a fist before, and the sight wasn't so different now than it was then). He wiped them on the dewy grass, before remembering his friend's conditions, how he ever forgot was beyond him, and ran to their sides. Chad had missed the punch aimed at the back of his head early on in the battle, and he likely had a concussion. Uryu had gotten nicked by the Hollow's talons, which seemed to have a weird sort of poison secreting from the very tips, because even though the wound was shallow, he had passed out near immediately after. He picked them both up with a grunt, the Quincy over his shoulder and the Mexican under his arm. After psyching himself up for Kisuke's usual annoying (yet amusing) attitude, he shunpoed towards the Shoten. Unlike earlier in the week, where it had taken him around fifty steps, this time it only took him ten. Seeing as how it was around 2 am, at least it had been when the Hollow showed up, the children were nowhere to be found. Yoruichi, however, was sitting on the top step in cat form. "Hello Ichigo. I had been expecting you to come over at some point, though I had hoped you would be alone." The cat spoke, its voice deep and manly, and it still gave him doubts about Yoruichi being female, no matter how many times she paraded around naked in human form.

"Sorry about this Yoruichi. We were fighting a pretty strong Hollow, and I couldn't get to them in time to keep them from getting hurt. Is Getaboshi awake?" The feline nodded, standing on her hide legs and pushing the door open (he would never openly admit to how cute that looked), before padding inside on silent feet, and he quickly followed, not wanting his friends to suffer any longer than they had to. The group traveled to sitting room beyond the shop's front, where Kisuke and Tessai sat around a kotatsu drinking what smelled like green tea. The shopkeeper looked in their direction, hat tilted lowly on his face to shadow his grey eyes. Considering he didn't have his usual fan, he instead resorted to using his tea cup. If Ichigo didn't know that he pulled this with everyone, he would've been offended by the suspicious behavior. "Good morning Kurosaki. It appears that you need my assistance." He hid a smile in his cup, but the teen could see it clearly. "Sorry for this Getaboshi. I'll be more careful hunting Hollows next time." The scientist waved a pale hand. "No worries, I don't mind. In fact, I think Tessai and I can agree that it's nice to be useful." At the mention of his name, the giant of a man deftly coaxed the wounded boys onto his own shoulders, before walking a few paces to one of the many spare bedrooms to let them rest on an even surface while he healed them. The teen fought down a smile. "I sometimes wonder how someone as suspicious as you manages to have such good friends." Yoruichi snorted a laugh at Ichigo's blunt observation, while Kisuke almost choked on his tea. He sputtered for a moment before finally regaining his bearings. "That's not a very nice thing to say," he replied with a pout, "I've never heard you say such mean things to Ishida or Shinji." This time he didn't bother to smother his grin. "That's cause they're not half as bad as you are. At least Shinji tries to explain what our training's about; you just through me in a hole." Yoruichi returned to her human form (stark nude as always), feminine laughter permeating the room. Kisuke took to sulking in the corner and growing mushrooms, which forced a small laugh from his chest. **"Wow, would ya look at that! I didn't know you _could_ laugh, King. I guess I was wrong about ya."** The annoying voice of his Hollow sounded in his head, and he internally scowled. _"Just cause I don't like to smile, doesn't mean I can't jackass."_ At that he was rewarded with maniacal laughter, so he simply tuned the pale doppelganger out. Just in time for Yoruichi to give him a bad time. "Finally! I can't believe it took Kisuke being an idiot to get you to laugh! If I knew that before, I could've won the pot!" He blinked at her, unsure of whether he heard her correctly or not. His eye twitched in annoyance, and his reiatsu raised to a level where it could be seen, as pale blue as ever. "Did you just insinuate that there is a bet of when I would smile?" The woman looked properly scorned, and from his corner the shopkeeper turned his attention onto them, grey eyes narrowed. The boy's reiatsu _looked_ normal, but he could see the tinges of black lined with red, the color of Ichigo's reiatsu while in bankai; his Hollow energy. He frowned. _"Why would it be showing up while he's in shikai? I wonder..."_ "Now now you two, no need to destroy my home." He called, finally stepping out of the gloom he created. While the brown eyed glare was turned on him, the cat woman took her chance to run, which started another argument, although this one was more playful, and the reiatsu dropped once more. Kisuke let his fan drop into his hand, and once more used it to cover his face. This was a mystery that desperately needed solving, because the current theories he had created in the span of seconds spelled out disaster.

As soon as the substitute Shinigami left, something blue melted from the shadows, a wicked grin on its face. It appeared to be male, with short yet spiky blue hair, darker blue eyes, and cyan marks under the latter. On his right jaw bone, there was what looked to be the maw of a cat, bone white with sharp edges. His eyes were filled with a demented form of excitement, and his tanned hands were twitching at his sides. He chuckled a bit, just this side of manic. He hadn't expected something so... exciting to happen when he agreed to watch over the orange haired Shinigami, not counting the incident from two months ago, but this by far stole the cake, so to say. "I knew that kid was strange, but I didn't have a clue he had a Hollow in him." He was practically drooling at the knowledge. "Oh Hell, this is gonna be so much fun! I wonder if I should tell Aizen about this." He took a deep breath, willing his body to stop shaking. "No way would I do that. This kid's potential belongs to me, and me alone." He laughed again. "Maybe I should bring a few more Adjuchas here, if only to watch that Hollow of his eat one again... Or maybe he could devour one himself... Hell, maybe I could catch him a Shinigami to eat... The possibilities are oh so delightful!" Soon he was howling with laughter, his eyes tearing up. When he finally calmed down, his grin became more pleased than insane. "You have a lot of potential as a Hollow, Ichigo Kurosaki, and one day, I will bring you back with me to Hueco Mundo." With that said, the being stuck his hand through thin air, and with a mighty yank, opened what looked to be the entrance to nothingness, and without preamble, he jumped inside, and it snapped shut behind him, leaving the area silent once more.


	3. A Hunger One Finds to Be Insatiable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weird philosophical stuff in this chapter. Mostly about the hunger a Hollow feels. It may sound like AoT in places, but that's because I've watched it about five times in a row, so it's clear in my mind. A bit of angst, nothing too lasting, just something that came to mind. Nothing much else I don't think. Took me longer than I wanted it to, mostly because thinking of words is hard.

That night, he told Kisuke about the fate of his combat pass, and asked for a gokon tekko. While he looked suspicious of the request (seriously, would it kill the guy to trust him?), he did so without complaint. Ichigo tested it a few times, and when he saw it was the real deal, he paid for it with cash, which certainly kept the shopkeeper quiet. With all of that said and done, he went back home, after checking to make sure his friends were healing properly. He was glad that his father left him be, since he was still high strung from the Hollow attack. He quietly entered his room, where he found Kon lounging on his bed reading manga. The mod soul looked up as he entered, and threw the manga into the open closet, where it hit Rukia; for some reason she was still there, even though she didn't want to fight Hollows with him, she felt she deserved to sleep in his closet. She glared at his body, which was trembling in place. "Kon, I thought I told you to be quiet. I'm trying to have a conversation with Sode no Shirayuki, but I can't unless I can fully concentrate." She glanced briefly at where he stood in the doorway, giving him a small smile. "Hello Ichigo. Sorry about not accompanying you on this hunt, but like I just said, it is imperative that I reacquaint myself with my zanpakuto spirit. Good night." She then closed the door, leaving the two alone. He scrubbed his face with a sigh, before glaring at the mod soul. "Lucky you, I got a new toy to eject you with. Be glad." In a second, he had pushed the pill out with his new glove, and dove into his body. He hissed at the uncomfortable feeling that brought, but ignored it in favor of getting comfortable on the bedspread. It didn't take him long to fall asleep. However, he awoke a few hours later to an unbearable pain in his abdomen. He sat up quickly, clutching the area with a groan. It felt like his stomach was ripping itself apart in the most painful way possible. It lasted for what felt like hours, and during that time, his eyes glassed over, leaving a freaked out Kon to try and wake Rukia so she could help him. Not that she could; a Hollow's hunger is soul deep after all, and you can't just heal a wound to the soul. So he sat in unbearable agony for what felt like hours before finally coming back to himself, still in pain, but slightly less than before. "Oh Ichigo, you had us so worried!" Usually, he would've thrown the stuffed toy off of him the second they made contact, but at that moment, he was still shell shocked by the sudden torment to do much more than stare. Wary purple eyes settled on his shaking frame. "Are you alright Ichigo? You seemed to be in pain, but my Kido detected nothing amiss. What happened?" It took him more effort than it should've for him to shrug. "Dunno." He slurred out, head lolling to one side. "Just started hurtin. 'M sorry." The Shinigami still seemed cautious, for some reason, but managed a small smile. "It's fine Ichigo. Just, try and feel better, alright?" He shrugged again, falling back onto his sheets. Kon took the hint (for once) and jumped off his chest and onto the ground, slipping onto one of the closet's low shelves before the door was slid shut. He laid on his back for a while longer, contemplating his situation, before deciding to talk with his spirits first. He closed his eyes, and fell into darkness.

His inner world wasn't as gloomy as he expected it to be, what with what had just happened. His spirits approached him immediately, Shiro's golden eyes wide, and the Old Man's skin paler than usual. **"Hell, I'm sorry King! I forgot to prepare ya!"** He blinked sluggishly, not having any clue as to what was going on. _**"What he means is, he forgot to tell warn you about the side effects of eating a Hollow for the first time."**_ Ichigo nodded along, the words going in one ear and out the other. For some reason, he couldn't concentrate; his stomach was growling, hunger pains gnawing at his self control. The two seemed to realize this, and his inner Hollow seemed to panic. **"Crap, crap, crappity crap, this is going to Hell! I can't believe I forgot!"** The Quincy placed a gentle arm on his shoulder. _**"That matters not. Right now we need to focus on keeping Ichigo in control of himself, lest he go on a rampage and gain the attention of Seireitei."**_ His deep voice helped keep Shiro from spiraling, and he managed a calming breath. **"Thanks Quincy. Yer right, gotta help King, else he'll end up dead. I'l take over and get us a follow up meal. If ya can, keep the chick in his closet unaware."** And with that, he disappeared, leaving the Old Man alone. He rubbed a hand down his face with a sigh. _**"I hate it when he gets like this... But it is better than his self deprecating moods."**_ He too left the teen's inner world, manifesting himself so as to properly use his abilities. He scowled to himself as he watched his wielder's body jump out of his window. He hated having to use the powers he got from the Quincy King, but they came in handy during times like these, no matter how he loathed them. He focused on the two souls across the room, and erected a barrier around them, so as to make sure they stayed ignorant of the current situation. Shiro was running on roof tops, trying to stay away from the Urahara Shoten, as well as from his King's human companions, so as not to rise suspicion from them. He also had to steer clear of the warehouse the Vizards live in, knowing that they would most likely not take their new appetite well (Hell, they hardly excepted Shiro as it was, if this ever came to light they would kill him, zanpakuto spirit or not). That didn't leave much of Karakura to look through for a powerful Hollow, but it luckily didn't take long. He had only been running for around half an hour when he came across a second adjuchas, which he found slightly suspicious. **"I wonder where they all came from? It isn't like Hollows, especially ones of such high levels, to congregate to one area. Then again, King gets 'em to act all kinds of strange."**

He forced the thought from his mind, hunger taking over his motor functions as he lunged towards it, large khyber knife raised high above his head. It looked up sharply and raised an arm to block. Not that it did anything, seeing as how Shiro's blade sliced through it like butter, and he managed to scratch along its chest; not too deep, but if it lived (which it wouldn't), it would take a while for it to heal. It screamed in angry pain, swiping out with its remaining claws, and he nimbly dodged, letting out a laugh as he threw the sword like a javelin, piercing its mask, its head, and landing point first in the ground behind it. He moved quickly, making sure to swallow as much as he could before the body fully dissipated. He wiped his face clean of blood before checking up on Ichigo, who's cloudy expression had cleared up, and he seemed to be aware enough for him and the Old Man to explain what was going on. Once he made sure his wielder was unlikely to go on a rampage, he sonidoed back to the clinic, where the Old Man stood, obviously waiting for them to reappear so he could lower the shield. The Hollow jumped from the window sill onto the bed, dragging his consciousness back inside the teen's mind, the Quincy following shortly thereafter, leaving the ginger asleep on his bed, little bits of reishi staining his clothes even on his human body. Once the barrier fell, Rukia forced the door to her quarters open, looking around warily. All she saw was her human friend, sleeping on his bed. Kon hopped out from below her, sniffing around the room. "It smells like a Hollow in here, but I don't see an evidence that one was ever here! Plus, Ichigo doesn't know how to make a barrier or shield or anything; he can't even use kido! What happened Rukia?" His voice was wavering, his eyes tearing up in worry or frustration, she couldn't tell. He turned her gaze back onto Ichigo, who for all intents and purposes looked perfectly fine, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of foreboding he oozed. Something was happening to him, something he didn't want to talk about, but would obviously change the way she viewed her world once more. _"That idiot. First, he changes the way I see Seireitei's laws, what else he could possibly show me? For him, the possibilities are endless. I hope you warp my viewpoints in a good way once again Ichigo."_ "Come on Kon, don't talk like that. Just go back to sleep, whatever happened, it left no long lasting negative effects, so what does it matter?" He looked at her with disbelieving eyes, but like she had known he would, he didn't argue, instead curling up on the pile of blankets on the first level of the closet, wishing her a peaceful rest before falling silent. Soon she too closed her eyes, allowing herself to falling into a dream filled sleep, ignoring the way her sword shouted for counsel.

Inside his inner world once more, Ichigo was feeling much better than earlier, now that he didn't feel like he would keel over at the slightest breeze. **"You feelin better King? No more aches and pains?"** He shook his head, taking in his surroundings. The sky seemed darker than usual, but only just slightly. A few of his skyscrapers were covered in ivy, or had tree branches growing out of their windows. He looked down, and saw that the concrete street was split open by vegetation and flora of all kinds. He turned to face them once more, confused at the sudden change. _**"If you were wondering, the changes that are happening here are based on your own personal growth. As well as changes in minor goals, and the direction your life has taken you. These skyscrapers represent your ambitions and memories. Some have become tainted by new knowledge and power, and others have been given new material to work with, and as such have merged together. This is a good thing, you must understand. One day, you fulling come into your powers, and this world will flourish. When that day comes, you will truly realize the meaning in my words. For now, you must focus on your new palate. Shiro will be the mist helpful in this area."**_ With that said, the Old Man began to float towards the mutating buildings, leaving the two alone. **"If yer done takin in the sights, this is important. Us Hollows get stronger by eatin our own kind, as well as Shinigami and other strong souls. We also feel constant hunger, no matter how strong ya get, until you reach the level of vasto lorde, aka as strong as a Hollow can be, till they rip their masks off, like the two from the park three months ago. That can happen naturally, but something tells me that ain't the case with those two. Back on topic, yer about ta feel the most agonizing hunger possible in a few days, and it'll hit ya at random. You might be able to fight it off, seeing as how you have a great deal of will power, but you will need to eat again. This'll go on for the rest of yer life, and far into yer after life, till you join the cycle of reincarnation, whether ya like it or not."** Orange brows furrowed. "Why? Where does the hunger come from?" He got a shrug in reply. **"Beats me. It's sort of instinctual; just eat till ya die. Who knows why that is? We coulda started eatin animals, or plants, or anythin else, but I guess Soul King's gotta get his laughs from somewhere, and he must get off on the sufferin of others, not that I have any right to shame him in that regard."** He played it off as a joke, but Ichigo could see that not having the answer frustrated his zanpakuto, so he decided to distract him from it. "You mentioned 'levels'. What do you mean by that?" **"What I meant was evolution. Hollows start out as weak small fry, then if they eat enough, they become Gillians, part of a three tear ladder called 'Menos Grande'. You fought one, back when you were usin Rukia's reiatsu to power ya. Remember, the big black thing with a pointy nose?"** He did remember that, it would be pretty hard to forget such an experience.

"You mean, that's the weakest evolution of a Hollow? That thing nearly killed me!" His body double rolled his golden eyes. **"Yeah, cause back then you were weak. Now, you could kill one in yer sleep. Anyway, next level is adjuchas, and the two you devoured today are of this class. They're pretty strong, sometimes, but you could still take em easily. That leaves vasto lorde, the strongest of the strong. Even you'll have a hard time fightin one at yer current level. Which is why we're eatin Hollows in the first place. To get ya stronger than before, and maybe even evolve ourselves. Who knows, maybe we could actually land a hit on Aizen if we do."** The sarcasm in the last statement was obvious, though it went over Ichigo's head, moron that he is. "Won't my friends notice? I don't exactly have a tight reign on my reiatsu, and Shinji told me that it's pretty obviously, especially once we talked things out." **"Then I guess me and the Old Man are gonna have to train the Hell outta ya. Also, stop gettin form fittin clothes, they're impractical ta fight in! I don't care that yer jeans don't rip, if any Hollow characteristics start appearing, like, lets say a tail, it's gonna be pretty frickin obvious what yer tryna hide."** The teen blinked a few times. "A... tail. My Hollow form can affect my physical body?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" The got into each other's faces, and the calm discussion quickly became a shouting match. **"I didn't tell ya cause I knew it would affect yer answer! Plus, it ain't that bad! Not like yer gonna grow horns or a mask or hole or anythin, just yer tail, maybe yer claws! The mask marks might even transfer over. Won't make ya look half bad actually..."** The carrot top ground his teeth together, anger and indignation rushing through his veins. "I don't care about the tail or mask, I care about you hiding it from me! It wouldn't have influenced my answer, I was going to go through with this no matter what, but I thought we were past hiding things from each other. In the grand scheme of things, this may seem small, but to me, it shows how much you don't trust me, and that you feel you need to continue manipulating me into doing what you want. I thought we were done with this." Shiro was stunned into silence at his wielders confession, and he looked away. **"Dammit King, only you could make a Hollow feel regret."** He looked back at Ichigo. **"I'm sorry if it appeared that way to ya, but I actually thought that it might be enough to dissuade you. This was the only way for yer powers to come back, and for them to get even stronger. I guess I didn't think about yer feelins at all, and I'll try not to make the same mistake twice."** Ichigo hid a small smile. He knew this was as close to an apology as he would get from his inner Hollow, and though he was still mad, he wasn't one to hold grudges. "It's fine, but you better not do it again." And for once, all seemed to be well.

 _A loud roar echoed along the sands, and it was followed by the sounds of childish laughter, and gut wrenching screams. Blood was flying through the air, red and black and blue and **not human at all.** Then appeared a beast with skin as white as bone, with a long orange mane, twin horns that proudly faced the eternal night sky. Its hands and feet were gifted with sharp talons, and along its neck, wrists, and ankles was a deep red fur. It let loose another howl, showing off gleaming fangs and glowing golden eyes. The laughter sounded once more, and a child soon jumped onto the monster's back. She was small, and had near cyan hair that fell to her shoulders, and what looked to be a ram skull sat atop her head. Her green tunic covered her whole body, minus her hands and feet. "Nel's glad that you're happy, Itsygo!"_ The woman sat straight up, a scream stuck in her throat. She gasped air into her lungs greedily, brown eyes mere pinpricks in her terror. "What the Hell was that? Was that Ichigo? Why have I been having such strange dreams all of a sudden?" She ran pale fingers through dark locks in her anxiety. "I hope this is just some weird coincidence, and I've been watching too many movie marathons with Orihime." She got out of her comfortable sheets, trudging to the bathroom, knowing she would be unable to sleep for the rest of her night.


End file.
